Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis c17.157

c17.157

The Buddhist Tantra is essentially Vajrayāna. According to Bhattacharyya⁵ this system, a development of the Mahā- yāna, contains certain elements which reach back to the Buddha himself. Certain concepts which found a place in original Buddhism, contain the seeds of Tāntra. These are mudrā, mantra, maṇḍala, dhāraṇī, yoga and samādhi, all of which contributed to the attainment of happiness and prosperity. He holds that there was a popular side to early Buddhism and that within the cult there were many who were unhappy under the extreme severity of the discipline enforced. These concepts, therefore, found fertile soil in which to develop both liberty and license, in the search for supernatural power and for enjoyment.